In which month did the 1969 Woodstock festival begin?

The 1969 Woodstock festival began in August. Its first performances started on August 15, and the event continued through August 18, when Jimi Hendrix played the closing set.

The festival had originally been planned for an earlier date and was commonly described as a three-day event, but the schedule stretched into Monday morning because performances began late and ran behind. Hendrix appeared after dawn on August 18, giving the festival its memorable closing performance.

Woodstock took place during a turbulent period in American history, but the gathering became associated with the counterculture’s ideals of peace, communal living, and artistic freedom. The audience—estimated at roughly 400,000 to 500,000 people—far exceeded the organizers’ expectations.

A common mix-up is confusing Woodstock with later festivals held in other months, including the Isle of Wight Festival. The original Woodstock, formally the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, was the August 1969 event held at Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York.